Steelers’ Arrogant Decision Making "Reeked Of ‘Look How Smart We Are’" And Contributed In Loss To The Browns

The Pittsburgh Steelers again lost on Thursday Night Football, this time to the Cleveland Browns. There was a lot to dislike about the game. The Steelers were on a short week after beating the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11. That, along with the Steelers' record in Cleveland and on Thursday nights, had people calling this a trap game, despite how special this team seems. If it was a trap, the Steelers fell right into it, and their pride, according to one insider, was the bait. 

Tim Benz from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review joined Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning show on 102.5 WDVE to discuss the mistakes they felt were made. There is an old expression, "Pride comes before the fall," meaning that when people become too arrogant, they may fail to see the pitfalls before them. Benz believes that is part of what happened to the Steelers against the Browns. 

"The one that really bothered me the most was having Fields throw the ball on third down," said Benz. "That reeked of look at how smart we are, as opposed to what's the best functional thing to do here. The whole let's take them by surprise, instead of just having the better quarterback throw the ball down the field. I don't want to see on display why you're so smart."

The Steelers have been working in Justin Fields on some packages the past few games. Pittsburgh again got off to a slow start in this game offensively, but when Fields broke off a 30-yard run, it helped give them a spark of life. They mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter and regained the lead. 

However, as Benz mentioned, not all of Fields' plays succeeded. With just over three minutes left in the game, the Steelers were driving, and Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith decided to have Fields attempt a critical third-down pass to George Pickens. The pass was incomplete, and Pittsburgh was forced to punt. Unfortunately, Corliss Waitman shanked the punt, which only traveled 15 yards.   

"I like the notion of tinkering with Fields in that game after what Taysom Hill did to the Browns the week before," added Benz. "I thought they got too enamored with it. The goal of using Fields is to confuse the Browns, not to confuse the Steelers."

The Steelers coaches have said they don't have a "gadget quarterback" like Taysom Hill with the New Orleans Saints. Instead, they have two starting quarterbacks. However, if they use Fields in this manner, they must find a way to get the offensive line on board with the rotation.

Steelers' Justin Fields Being Asked To Do A Difficult Task

Ever since Head Coach Mike Tomlin decided to sit Fields in favor of Wilson, the fans and the media have been clamoring for the athletic, young quarterback to be used. When Fields was the starter, Steelers fans saw his incredible speed and agility up close. 

Fields' athletic ability has always been one of his most attractive aspects. Many felt having him come in on short-yardage plays and in the red zone made sense. However, according to longtime Steelers backup quarterback Charlie Batch, just putting a player in and out of a game is not as easy as some may think.

Batch recently said that, particularly in the cold and wet weather of the AFC North, you can't just pull a player off the sideline and thrust them into the game. This is especially true for quarterbacks who need time to warm up. Fields even mentioned in his postgame press conference that he initially felt stiff from the cold when he came in and thought he was better warmed up when he made the long play. 

Do you think the team’s arrogance got the best of them? Click to comment below. 

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